Posts Tagged ‘microFIT’

Newer Entries »

Greater Sudbury to Take Part in Feed-in Tariff Program

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

SkyPower, Ltd. (SkyPower), has announced plans for a new solar park in the Greater Sudbury area that will tie into the provincial power grid as part of Ontario’s feed-in tariff program.  The company will locate the $35-$45 million park, which it has named the HighLight Solar Project (Highlight Project), south of the town of Capreol in the Valley East region.

Toronto’s SkyPower is a solar energy company that develops, manages, finances, and owns renewable power projects across the globe.  Members of the company’s experienced team dedicate their careers to developing green projects “in a responsible and meaningful manner.”  SkyPower’s other Ontario projects include Canada’s first full-scale solar park, First Light I, in Stone Mills, and two recently announced installations in Napanee and Thunder Bay.

“The site… has a good amount of sunlight, according to our consultants,” says SkyPower’s spokesman, Brett James.  “A good site is not impeded by winter conditions.”  The new Valley East installation will utilize as many as 200,000 solar panels.  The project’s construction will create eighty jobs for trades workers and graduates of the province’s PV training courses, and it will generate enough solar energy to power approximately 1,000 homes.  SkyPower expects to begin constructing the solar power project in August, 2011, and complete it within six to eight months.

Project Will Create Green Jobs for Graduates of Solar Power Courses

Ontario has a robust green energy industry that includes solar module manufacturing plants and a number of related career opportunities.  The province also benefits from training courses, such as Ontario Solar Academy’s five-day PV design and installation program, that prepare Ontario workers for new careers in the solar energy industry.

The centrepiece of Ontario’s green economy is its feed-in tariff program, which pays high prices to power producers who tie solar, wind, and biomass projects into the province’s electrical grid.  SkyPower has applied to the provincial government to participate in the program.  From there, it must also receive approval from the Ministries of the Environment, Tourism and Culture, and Natural Resources before it can commence building the HighLight Project.

The energy the project creates will divert about 10,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by replacing an equivalent amount of fossil fuels.  Once the solar modules have reached the end of their lives – about twenty-five years – the company will remove the structures and leave the land to nature.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Technology, Solar Training | No Comments »

Recycling Company Goes Solar

Monday, December 13th, 2010

Waxman Industrial Services, Ltd. (Waxman), recently announced that it will host an 87,000 square foot photovoltaic (PV) installation on its Burlington, Ontario rooftop.  Installing solar panels on the building’s roof will create work for graduates of Ontario’s green energy training courses.  When complete, the installation will produce an estimated 500 kW of environmentally-friendly electricity per hour.

Waxman is Canada’s fastest-growing metals recycling company, with operations in Hamilton, Brantford, and Burlington.  Toronto’s Atlantic Wind and Solar, Inc. (Atlantic) will construct, own, and operate the new rooftop facility.  Atlantic is a commercial aggregator – a company that leases space for installations that generate energy to sell at a profit.  The agreement between Waxman and Atlantic was brokered by Cushman & Wakefield, Ltd., a global real estate firm with offices across Canada and on most continents.

Atlantic operates a number of projects that participate in Ontario’s lucrative feed-in tariff (FIT) program.  The FIT encourages investment into green energy by paying owners of solar, wind, and biomass power projects above-market rates for electricity they feed into the grid.  The microFIT offers even higher prices, depending on the type of installation, for projects of 10 kW and less.  Last summer, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) barred commercial aggregators from participating in the microFIT.

FIT, MicroFIT Create Alternative Energy, Jobs

A number of businesses, including IKEA, have chosen to produce alternative energy on their Ontario properties and rooftops, largely motivated by the FIT’s high prices.  This increased interest in green energy has led to a dramatic increase in the number of solar, wind, and biomass projects that operate in the province and has helped to create thousands of jobs.  According to one estimate, Ontario will install about 2400 MW of clean electricity-generating capacity between 2010 and 2012, and a recent study conducted by ClearSky Advisors suggests that the region may add as many as 70,000 “person-years” of employment in the green energy sector by 2015.  The FIT, microFIT, and the popularity of solar panels  and other types of installations have also inspired industry players to offer courses for workers interested in making the switch to careers in renewable energy, such as Ontario Solar Academy’s five-day solar panel installation course.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Legislation & Politics, Solar Social, Solar Training | No Comments »

FIT, MicroFIT Money Well-Spent

Monday, December 6th, 2010

According to at least one study, Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) and microFIT programs continue to create thousands of green jobs, and within a few years, could generate more than 3 GW of environmentally-friendly electricity.  Think of the power these and similar programs could have if they were implemented country-wide.

The FIT program pays owners of green energy projects above-market rates to feed electricity into the grid from renewable sources such as solar and wind.  The microFIT brings these benefits to the levels of communities and individuals and pays some of the highest prices of either program to projects of 10 kW and less.  These high prices have opened up a range of opportunities for workers with photovoltaic (PV) certification and other renewable energy training.

Ontario’s Energy Minister, Brad Duguid, is confident that the programs will create 50,000 new jobs, and a recent report by ClearSky Advisors suggests that if the FIT and microFIT continue on their current paths, they could contribute to the equivalent of more than 70,000 added person-hours of employment by 2015.

More Money Could Mean More Jobs for Workers with PV Training Certification

According to one analysis, Alberta’s tar sands will receive about $31 billion in tax and royalty write-offs this year – funding that will essentially come out of the public purse.  A 2008 study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) suggested that an equivalent amount of public money would bring more jobs and revenue for the government and fewer greenhouse gas emissions if it were spent on green energy projects.

In response to the recent economic recession, the federal government poured $47 billion of stimulus money into the flagging Canadian economy for construction and infrastructure upgrades.  While few statistics are currently available regarding how many jobs the spending created, according to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada has seen 420,000 new jobs since mid-2009.  It stands to reason that many of these jobs are due to the stimulus program.

Green Jobs: a New Way to Look at Stimulus Spending

According to one outlook, if $30 billion were given to the solar industry, it could create 6.7 GW of green energy and around 180,000 jobs for trained and certified PV workers, not to mention the spin-off benefits to peripheral industries.

To me, this swirl of figures paints a picture.  A basic analysis of the numbers suggests that if the $30 billion the oil sands received in one year was used instead for renewable energy projects, it could create more than a third of the number of jobs the $47 billion stimulus package added, at the most optimistic, in only a couple of years.  It would therefore be reasonable to assume that even from a purely economic perspective, green energy is a wise investment, particularly in uncertain times.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Social | No Comments »

Ontario Solar Energy Company Receives CSA Certification

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Solar energy company, Lumin Solar, Inc. (Lumin), has announced that it has received certification from CSA International (CSA) for its LS-240 PV panels, which also meet standards set out by Underwriters Laboratories.  The CSA certification assures regulators and customers that Lumin’s new state-of-the-art panels comply with national and international standards for safety and performance.

The Lumin team brings more than thirty years of manufacturing experience to its business.  According to a press release, the Thornhill, Ontario-based solar energy company’s goal is to be “the best in its class, emphasizing quality and customer service while helping to bring a greener vision to Ontario.”  Lumin’s 240W panels are designed for household use in both on- and off-grid applications.  The company’s modules use a layout of sixty high-efficiency monocrystalline cells and are made using premium components that ensure a high energy output.  Lumin guarantees that its modules are free from harmful materials such as cadmium telluride and gallium arsenide and that they are made in Ontario, which qualifies them as domestic content under the province’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program.

Green Energy and Green Economy Act Boosts Industry, Creates Careers

The FIT is a product of 2009’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act (Green Energy Act).  One of its stated purposes is to “help Ontario phase out coal-fired electricity generation by 2014.”  The FIT works to achieve this by providing financial incentives to energy producers who feed into the electrical grid from “green” sources, and the many spin-off benefits of the program include new green careers for an economy devastated by the decline in manufacturing.

Lumin is enthusiastic about the opportunity to become part of the toolkits that the next wave of solar designers and installers will use in their new green careers.  “We are very excited to have achieved this important milestone,” says Mr. Brian Read, the company’s CEO.  “I am very grateful and appreciative of our dedicated staff and their commitment to making Lumin Solar an Ontario success.  We are now poised to provide the residential and commercial industry with our Ontario-made solar panels that meet the FIT and microFIT requirements.”  To help boost awareness of its products, the company will participate in this year’s Solar Canada exhibition, which takes place in Toronto from December 6-7.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Legislation & Politics | No Comments »

New Solar Panel Assembly Plant to Create 300 Green Jobs in Hamilto

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

A Canadian-Chinese partnership has ordered the construction of a solar PV panel assembly plant in Hamilton, Ontario.  Together, Hamilton-based JNE Consulting and Chinese ply-silicon manufacturing company, Daqo New Energy, will invest an estimated $5 million in this assembly plant, scheduled to go online in 2012.  Company execs hope the plant will help satisfy the growing demand for solar panels made possible by the Ontario Power Authority’s FIT and microFIT programs.

Another Success Story for the FIT and MicroFIT

Because the plant is in Hamilton, the panels will qualify as “locally produced,” thus satisfying the FIT’s and microFIT’s domestic content requirement.  While Japan has started a WTO dispute because of this requirement, Daqo has simply decided to produce panels in Ontario and reap the benefits of the province’s expansive growth.

Ontario’s Green Energy Act has helped the province become a hub for green technologies.  The Feed-in tariff (FIT) program and its spinoff for smaller projects, the microFIT program, have encouraged local and international companies, as well as individual consumers, to invest in cleaner, more sustainable ways of producing energy.  In fact, over the past several months, Ontario has attracted over $1 billion in private sector renewable energy investment and created over 1,400 construction jobs.

Solar Training Essential to Benefit from New Green Jobs

Projects like the one conceived by this international partnership would not be possible without the proliferation of solar PV installations arising from the FIT and microFIT programs.  Because skilled workers are needed to install these solar panels, the Ontario population benefits from unprecedented employment opportunities in the clean energy domain.  However, proper solar training is necessary to increase the likelihood of landing one of the many new green jobs cropping up throughout the province.  However because there is no shortage of solar training programs in Ontario, it is useful to use accreditations such as the ISPQ standard to verify a potential school’s quality.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Social | No Comments »

Non-Profit Provides Food, Job Training, Green PV Energy

Friday, November 26th, 2010

Gleaners Food Bank (Gleaners) in Belleville, Ontario, announced on November 8 that it will now sell green energy to the province.  In the last two years, Gleaners, the Quinte area’s destination for individuals and families in need of food, information, job training, drug addiction prevention, and affordable housing, has made an effort to help the environment as well.  The organization’s latest green initiative is the seventy-two 15 kW solar panels recently installed on the food bank’s rooftop.  This installation will generate revenue from the more than 20,000 kW-hours of green electricity it will add to the province’s power grid each year.  The installation will also create temporary and long-term employment for Ontario’s certified solar workers.

The solar installation is one of several green retrofits Gleaners has made to the food bank building.  Over a year ago, the organization took part in the Veridian Energy Lighting Retrofit program, which helped Gleaners replace old lighting, heating, and cooling equipment with more energy efficient technology.  Later, the Ontario Trillium Foundation helped Gleaners install a better-insulated roof, and the non-profit added a rain harvesting conservation and solar energy organic system to the garden near the food bank’s warehouse.  The rooftop installation joins several other solar projects in the Quinte-Belleville region, along with hundreds of new projects creating green energy and jobs for certified PV workers across Ontario.

FIT, MicroFIT Help Create Green Jobs, PV Training Certification Opportunities

Ontario is home to North America’s first full-scale feed-in tariff (FIT) program.  The FIT and its companion program for projects under 10 kW, the microFIT, pay producers of renewable energy to tie into the grid.  The programs’ goals are to diversify the power supply and help phase out coal-fired power in the province by 2014.  In addition to clean electricity, it has also created a wide array of green jobs and educational opportunities like solar PV training courses.  The microFIT encourages homeowners to be part of the solution by paying them some of the highest rates for green energy – up to 80.2 cents/kW-hour for residential-scale rooftop PV installations.  The programs’ high rates allow projects like the Gleaners solar set-up to profit from progress.

“Hunger has no season and solar energy is the future of Gleaners sustainability,” says Susanne Quinlan, Gleaners’ Director of Operations.  “We decided to pursue solar energy to create a healthy and sustainable environment for residents and families we serve, and to help greatly offset power costs.”  Gleaners Food Bank will help both the environment and Ontarians for years to come, all under, and over, the same roof.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Social | No Comments »

MicroFIT Changes Leave Farmers in the Dust

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Proposed changes to Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program could leave some of the province’s farmers in the dust.  On July 2, Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Brad Duguid, announced that the lucrative prices the program offers for electricity generated by small, ground-mounted solar installations may be reduced from 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour to 58.8 cents.

The FIT program began accepting applications for green energy projects in May of 2009.  The response was overwhelming, with the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) receiving more than 15,000 applications in less than a year and a half.  Most applications were for ground-mounted solar systems less than 10 kW, which fall into the microFIT category.  According to Duguid, the province has to scale back its pricing scheme in order to avoid footing the $1 billion required to cover the projects’ 25% rate of return over the next twenty years.

Rural Residents Lose Trust in the System

Agricultural land is prime real estate for green energy installations, and many farmers have installed or planned to install ground-mounted systems on their property.  One such farmer is Ed Kloosterman, who, with his wife, Alma, had applied for microFIT contracts to build 10kW of solar installations on four rural properties near Peterborough.    While the Kloostermans understand the province’s rationale for the price changes, Ed asserts that a lot of trouble could have been avoided if the government had more carefully worked out the economics of the arrangement beforehand.

Mark Banner, president of Diverse Green Solutions, Ltd., and vendor for solar company Omniwatt, says that while the price changes are a setback, they do not spell the end of Ontario’s solar industry.  At 58.8 cents per kilowatt hour, there is still a profit to be made from the technology and the microFIT.  What remains a problem, as Wendy Omvlee of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture points out, is loss of trust in the program.  While Ontario’s FIT continues to offer high prices for green energy, the province will have to work to restore the faith of businesses, homeowners, and rural land owners, and to assure potential applicants that in the future, they can rely on the OPA to stand behind its offers.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Legislation & Politics | No Comments »

Ontario Solar Incentive Program Faces First Major Hurdle

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

In early July, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) dropped a bomb on the burgeoning solar generation community by reducing the rates it will pay to some microFIT solar projects by 27% – from 80.2 cents to 58.8 cents per kWh.  With more than 16,000 Ontario microFIT applicants currently awaiting approval, the move could make solar installations for many would-be rural power producers much more difficult.  In addition, decreased demand for microFIT projects could also place greater strain on solar panel manufacturers, suppliers, and training organizations.

It did not take long for the rate drop to make big waves in the industry.  Petitions and other criticisms sprang up within hours of the release.  The OPA and McGuinty government quickly felt the heat and moved to appease the dissenters, stating the rates would have been too profitable for microFIT participants and too costly for the Ontario taxpayer.  In essence, ground-mounted solar installations should not receive the same incentives as costlier rooftop PV installations.

Energy Sector Was Just Starting to Feel Solar Installation Boom

Since the launch of the microFIT program, countless businesses, households, and farms have gravitated to solar, hoping to generate profits from their PV investments.  A change to the tariff incentive could mean disaster for many of these businesses and start-ups.  One such company, Fritz Construction, reported losing 80% of its business within several days as a result of the microFIT change.  Sudden changes like these, especially at the dawn of a relatively new industry, make it very difficult for solar installers, suppliers, trainers, and power producers to budget and plan accordingly.

Solar Panel Ground-Systems Still Have Hope

Luckily, the rate cut will not take effect immediately.  The OPA has suspended finalization of the decision until August 3 so it can consult its stakeholders and solicit feedback from the field.  This provides time for the industry to regroup and lobby the provincial government.  Furthermore, the new rate proposed by the OPA of 58.8 cents per kWh may still provide sustainable margins to some solar power producers, as long as those installing systems can streamline training, installation, and other capital costs.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Solar Business, Solar Legislation & Politics, Solar Social | No Comments »

Newer Entries »